Mascara applicators in the form of brushes are already known. Such brushes typically comprise a gripping component, which may serve as a stopper for a container containing the mascara to be applied, together with a stem extending from the gripping component between a proximal end and a distal end.
A multitude of bristles extend radially from the stem at its distal end thus forming a means of application of mascara on eyelashes.
These prior art brushes are designed to be used as follows. The user dips the brush in a container containing mascara which has the effect of coating the bristles with mascara.
The user then performs an eyelash brushing action using the brush which has the effect of transferring the mascara from the bristles towards and onto the eyelashes, combing the eyelashes in the process.
Most of these prior art mascara brushes are obtained by positioning, between the two branches of a U-shaped metal pin, a series of independent fibers positioned roughly side by side with each other along the length of the interstitial space between the two branches of the pin. A torsional force is then applied on the pin which leads to its twisting. The twisting of the pin leads, in turn, to a trapping of the fibers between the branches and a helical expansion of the fibers, which adopt a distribution in helical layers. An application head which is fitted on the stem extending from the gripping component, in line with the stem, is thus obtained.
These prior art brushes present a number of drawbacks.
Firstly, their manufacturing method is relatively difficult to implement since the method is based on the association of a multitude of independent elements, namely the plurality of fibers and the U-shaped pin, which are furthermore very small in size and therefore difficult to handle.
In addition, the design of the prior art brushes and the difficult nature of their manufacturing means that it is impossible, using a given industrial tool, to vary significantly the shape and properties of the brushes manufactured, particularly from the point of view of the mechanical properties and the conformation of the bristles.
Lastly, given the industrial and design constraints referred to above, these prior art brushes allow the obtaining of a cosmetic result which is admittedly acceptable but far from remarkable.